The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-06

wasn't standing up for him already
and a man whose looks were so against
him, too! Must that dreadful pump
kin-pie episode be ~rcpeated' They
both groaned-inwardly-and Zacha-
riah went out to see that the hogs were
properly fed. and Hannah to water
some choice cabbages.
The next day the grand attack was
made OH the post-llules. For several
days following, the post-hole and
barbed-wire fence campaign was kept
up. Then there was the breaking on
the back forty, and the haying in the
slough, and the corn c%ultivating. and
II number of those pleasant little rec
reations which farm life is subject to
between "seedin' m harvest And
in everything Zachariah found Tom a
model hired Juan. He could dig afew
more post-holes, and do a little more
breaking and pitch hay a little harder,
and stay in the corn-tield q little long
er than Zachariah could himself. In
fact, in his own words. '.that maj
'peared t be bout as chuck full O
hard days works as they make EN-"
And he also proved to be remarkably
good-natured and reliable. But alas!
there was the old trouble. Piep Well,
no, not pie yet, but it seemed as if it
might almost reach that before it cul-
minated.
1t started on the Fourth of July.
Zachariah had told Tom to hitch up
old Doll and 1.-THE colt Gust past the
eighteenth anniversary Of his birth)
and they would all drive into town and
witness the great celebration, "a cele-
bration," remarked the able Appleby
Agitator, ''never before equaled in our
Territory-one in which the Eagle will
Scream and strong mon and fair women
will vie with each other in doing honor
to IL Nations Birthday"
When Zachariah and his amiable
spouse reached the door what was their
horror to find Tom and Alice on the
the front seat, leaving the back seat for
them. 1t did no good to look at them
they were very busy discussing the
relative beauty of different colored
horses, Alice having just stated her
preference for the spotted variety 'like
a circus hoss." and Tom rather leaned
in that direction himself So there was
nothing to do, and they rode to the
great celebration as the young people
had arranged it.
And while in town, though not
proved, it was nevertheless strongly
suspected that Tom bought this plump
and r~osy-cheeked girl ice-cream and
red lemonade, and it was never alto
gether clear where the bag of peanuts
and candy which her mother discov-
cred in the cupboard next morning
came from unless from the same
source.
And then they happened to walk
home from church a great many times
together. And when harvest came on
Alice seemed very fond Of carrying
particularly large and choice lunch.
con out into the field.
So the season wore away. Harvest
was n thing of the past. The grain
had been stacked and thrashed, 'this
immediate section coming forward
with IL larger yield than any other
portion Of the territory,"-to again
quote from our friend the Ag,tator.
Corn-husking time was even at hand,
and the pumpkins were ripe-which
meant fresh pumpkin pies and great
hoops of pumpkin hung up around the
chimney to dry against a time when
the fresh pumpkin was no longer with
us.
Tom still worked as faithfully and
as good-naturedly as ever. He had
even got a claim Of his own in the
neighborhood and talked Of going to
farming for himself in the spring.
Zachariah shook his head; he didn't
know what Tom might be thinking Of.
Not but what Tom was a remarkably
good fellow. and had risen rapidly in
his estimation. but he didn't altogether
like the idea Of the best men paying
too much attention to his Alice. So
he shook his head and had his sus.
picions. But it was all going to come
out. and that very soon, though both
Alice and Tom were going about oil
unconscious Of the danger.
Pies again whispers the anxious
reader. No; oh, dear, no not pie. No.
not pie. Alas! II it only had been pie.
But the sad truth is that things had
gone far beyond pie. Zachariah
didn't know it but Hannah did.
Too many big pies. pumpkin pies, ap-
pie pies, squash pies, currant pies, straw.
berry pies, custard pies and miscella-
neous pies had disappeared for her not
to know that Yes. it was too true
that many i brave pic had passed out
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